Burglary Suspect Shot Dead

January 02, 1986|By Jack Houston.

A man who police suspected had just burglarized a South Side real estate office was shot to death early Wednesday by an off-duty Cook County sheriff`s police officer.

James Harris, 30, of 1448 E. Marquette Rd., was pronounced dead nearly six hours after the shooting at South Shore Hospital from a single wound in his stomach, according to Sgt. James Gorman of the Pullman Area violent crimes unit.

Gorman identified the off-duty officer as William Jones, 39, who is assigned to Branch 57 of Cook County Circuit Court. Jones was not charged.

According to police, Jones was approached at about 1 a.m. by Harris and two unidentified men at 7850 S. Jeffery Ave. Harris and one of the other men were carrying typewriters and asked Jones if he wanted to buy them. Jones, waiting to meet friends to go to a party, ignored them.

However, a short time later Jones noticed a broken plate glass window in a real estate office at 1944 E. 79th St. Suspecting that the three men were responsible, Jones went looking for them and eventually found them in the 7800 block of South Clyde Avenue, according to Gorman.

``Jones identified himself as a police officer and told them to put down the typewriters,`` Gorman said. ``The men spread out and after Harris set his typewriter down, he drew a two-shot Derringer pistol and fired twice at Jones.``